_ CHAPTER LXXXV. AFTER THE DRAGON, THE VIPER
Oliva was preparing to fly, as Jeanne had arranged, when Beausire, warned by an anonymous letter, discovered her and carried her away. In order to trace them, Jeanne put all her powers in requisition--she preferred being able to watch over her own secret--and her disappointment was great when all her agents returned announcing a failure. At this time she received in her hiding-place numerous messages from the queen.
She went by night to Bar-sur-Aube, and there remained for two days. At last she was traced, and an express sent to take her. Then she learnt the arrest of the cardinal. "The queen has been rash," thought she, "in refusing to compromise with the cardinal, or to pay the jewelers; but she did not know my power."
"Monsieur," said she to the officer who arrested her, "do you love the queen?"
"Certainly, madame."
"Well, in the name of that love I beg you to conduct me straight to her. Believe me, you will be doing her a service."
The man was persuaded, and did so. The queen received her haughtily, for she began to suspect that her conduct had not been straightforward. She called in two ladies as witnesses of what was about to pass.
"You are found at last, madame," said the queen; "why did you hide?"
"I did not hide, madame."
"Run away, then, if that pleases you better."
"That is to say, that I quitted Paris. I had some little business at Bar-sur-Aube, and, to tell the truth, I did not know I was so necessary to your majesty as to be obliged to ask leave for an absence of eight days."
"Have you seen the king?"
"No, madame."
"You shall see him."
"It will be a great honor for me; but your majesty seems very severe towards me--I am all trembling."
"Oh, madame, this is but the beginning. Do you know that M. de Rohan has been arrested?"
"They told me so, madame."
"You guess why?"
"No, madame."
"You proposed to me that he should pay for a certain necklace; did I accept or refuse?"
"Refuse."
"Ah!" said the queen, well pleased.
"Your majesty even paid 100,000 francs on account."
"Well, and afterwards?"
"Afterwards, as your majesty could not pay, you sent it back to M. Boehmer."
"By whom?"
"By me."
"And what did you do with it?"
"I took it to the cardinal."
"And why to the cardinal instead of to the jewelers, as I told you?"
"Because I thought he would be hurt if I returned it without letting him know."
"But how did you get a receipt from the jewelers?"
"M. de Rohan gave it to me."
"But why did you take a letter to them as coming from me?"
"Because he gave it to me, and asked me to do so."
"It is, then, all his doing?"
"What is, madame?"
"The receipt and the letter are both forged."
"Forged, madame!" cried Jeanne, with much apparent astonishment.
"Well, you must be confronted with him to prove the truth."
"Why, madame?"
"He himself demands it. He says he has sought you everywhere, and that he wishes to prove that you have deceived him."
"Oh! then, madame, let us meet."
"You shall. You deny all knowledge of where the necklace is?"
"How should I know, madame?"
"You deny having aided the cardinal in his intrigues?"
"I am a Valois, madame."
"But M. de Rohan maintained before the king many calumnies, which he said you would confirm."
"I do not understand."
"He declares he wrote to me."
Jeanne did not reply.
"Do you hear?" said the queen.
"Yes, madame."
"What do you reply?"
"I will reply when I have seen him."
"But speak the truth now."
"Your majesty overwhelms me."
"That is no answer."
"I will give no other here;" and she looked at the two ladies. The queen understood, but would not yield; she scorned to purchase anything by concession.
"M. de Rohan," said the queen, "was sent to the Bastile for saying too much; take care, madame, that you are not sent for saying too little."
Jeanne smiled. "A pure conscience can brave persecution," she replied; "the Bastile will not convict me of a crime I did not commit."
"Will you reply?"
"Only to your majesty."
"Are you not speaking to me?"
"Not alone."
"Ah! you fear scandal, after being the cause of so much to me."
"What I did," said Jeanne, "was done for you."
"What insolence!"
"I submit to the insults of my queen."
"You will sleep in the Bastile to-night, madame!"
"So be it; I will first pray to God to preserve your majesty's honor."
The queen rose furiously, and went into the next room.
"After having conquered the dragon," she said, "I can crush the viper!" _